Anode connector for electroplating lines



Nov. 13, 1956 Elf J. E. ERHARDT, JR, ETAL 2,770,793

ANODE CONNECTOR FOR ELECTROPLATING LINES Filed Oct. 3, i951 .48 28 50526 3 22 F E z a .5- INVENTOR JOHN E. ERHARDT JR.

, 52p ALBERT. R. GRIMES ATTORNEY United States Patent ANODE CONNECTORFOR ELECTROPLATING LINES John E. Erhardt, Jr., and Albert R. Grimes,Baltimore, Md., assignors to Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc., acorporation of New York Application October 3, 1951, Serial No. 249,512

4 Claims. (Cl. 339-272 This invention relates to anode connectors foruse in electroplating and particularly for electroplating elongatedsteel strips with tin or the like in continuous tank type electroplatinglines. i

In electroplating lines, it is preferable to construct the anodes sothat they are of less width than the confines of the tank size so thatthe anodes may be moved along the length of the tank when being changed.In practice, this requires that the anodes cannot have any arms or thelike which project beyond the edge of the tank. Accordingly, it hasproved very difilcult in the past to attach suitable connectors to theanodes for conducting current between the anode and the connector.

It has been known in the past to provide a slot in the side of theelectrolytic tank in the intended position of an anode, and a connectorhavinga bolt running therethrough has been inserted through the'slot andthe connector bolted to a face of the anode by having a tap hole in theanode. However, with that type of connector, serious difliculties havebeen encountered because heating at the point of contact makes itdiflicult to remove the bolts, which are easily twisted off at times.Presumably, the overheating at the point of connection results fromhavmg a rather limited contact area which concentrates the current flowand results in high heating in this area.

The present invention overcomes the previous difficulties by providing afirst member for abutting the face of the anode over a fairly large areawith a second member in the form of a yoke or the like which hooks tothe anode and overlies the first member. At a point beyond the confinesof the tank, an adjustable device such as a Figure 2 shows a top view ofthe arrangement shown' in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 shows a sectional view taken substantiall along the line 3-3 ofFigure 2.

Referring now to Figure 1, 10 designates the side wall of anelectrolytic plating tank which will contain a suitable electrolyticbath and through which a strip of metal to be plated will be moved inconventional fashion. Within tank 10, there is suspended an anodedesignated generally as 1 2. Anode 12 consists in part of a dependingportion 14 which extends downwardly into the tank and widthwise thereofin the usual manner. The major por tion of the anode 12 and particularlythe depending portion 14 is made of the metal which is to be eventuallydeposited upon the strip of dissimilar metal being run through the tank.For example, the anode'rnay be of tin for electroplating tin onto astrip of steel for use in eventually constructing tin cans and the like.

The anode 12 is further characterized by a horizontal arm portion 16which is designed, as willbe described in detail below, to provide meansfor attaching the electrical connector device which will conduct currentbetween the anode and the source of electrical energy. A suitable typeof anode may have the horizontal arm 16 constructed as follows: The arm16 will be of substantially inverted T section having a relativelynarrow vertical section 18 and a fairly wide cross-section 20 at thelower side. The lower cross-section 20 will meet with a verticallyextending wide section or tongue 22 which will extend upwardly as shownbest in Figure l to form a substantially square face as shown best inFigure 3. The upper edge of the relatively thin vertical section 18 maybe inclined downwardly as at 24 to meet the vertical section or tongue22 at a point 26 a short distance below the upper edge 28 of section ortongue 22. In greater detail, the inclined portion 24 may terminate in avertical portion 30 to form a rectangular notch, for purposes which willbecome more fully apparent as this descrip-' tion proceeds. Thehorizontal arm 16 of anode 12 may I be further characterized by a builtup portion comprising screw threaded bolt acts between the yoke and theouter end of the first member to apply pressure therebetween. The resultis that the first member, which is connected to the electrical circuit,is firmly engaged or abutted against the anode for good electricalcontact, and yet there is no danger of the screw threaded adjustmentmeans becoming inoperative due to overheating. Also, the improvedconnection device, according to this invention, may be readilymanipulated from the outside of the tank.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide ananode connector device which provides excellent contact with an anodeand -yet is notsubject to undesirable overheating effects.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an anode connectordevice having a first portion for extending through the tank wall toabut a face of the anode and with a second member also extending throughthe-tank side to be retained in hooking relation to the anode so thatclamping forces may be applied at the exterior of the tank.

Further objects and the entire scope of the invention will becomefurther apparent from the following description and from the appendedclaims.

The invention may be best understood with reference to the accompanyingdrawing in which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevational view of a connecting device accordingto the invention.

sections 32 and 34. These sections may be molded intcgral with the anodeand will serve to increase the crosssectional area of the anode at thepoint adjacent the inner face of the tongue or section 22 and throughwhich point current passes to the connection device to be described.However, depending upon the general dimensions of the anode arm 16 inrelation to the amount of current which is to be carried, it will beunderstood that the sections 32 and 34 may possibly be dispensed with.

In connection with the anode 12, it will be further understood that thecomplete anode comprising the horizontal arms 16 (there will be asimilar arm at the other side of the tank) may be made of the metalwhich ,is to be deposited, or the arms 16 and adjacent structure may, infact, be simply an anode yoke to which may be secured a dependingsection 14 of the metal to be deposited. That is, in practice, it may bedesirable to construct the upper portion of the anode of metal such ascast steel or the like which may be used repeatedly by simply connectingthereto a portion of tin or the like which will only extend to 'theupperlevel of the electrolyte in the tank.

To the tank wall 10, there may be attached an angle iron 36 on which maybe mounted an insulator 38 for supporting the anode 12. That is, theanode 12 will rest on one insulator 38 on each side of the tank, byengagement of the insulator with the flat undersurface of section 20 ofthe anode. The insulators 38 will be located adjacent slots 40 in thetank wall 10.

The connection device according to this invention consists of a firstmember 42 to which is connected a flexible current conductor 44. Thefirst member may be of circular cross-section as shown in the drawingand is provided with a flat face 46 for firmly engaging the Qatare of sc n or tongue 2 f p s cur e therebetween. Member 42 is further providedwith a bar 48 having a downwardly extending hook portion 50 for engagingthe inner face of section or tongue .22 in the vicinity of therectangular slot formed in anode arm 16 defined by previously mentionedsurface 30. The purpose of hook 50 is to temporarily retain member 42 inengagement with the anode before a clamping arrangement (to bedescribed) otherwise engages member 42 with anode arm 16.

The connection device is further characterized by a yoke 52 having twoparallel arms 52a and 52b joined by a transverse arm or bight 520. Theends of yoke arms 52a and 52b remote from cross-arm 520 are providedwith hook portions 54 which are so arranged that they will overlie aportion of the face of the anode section 22 remote from the face ofsection or tongue 22 which abuts the first connector portion 42.The'crossarm 520 of yoke 52 is then further provided with a theradedaperture 56 through which extends a threaded bolt 58. Accordingly, withthe yoke positioned to overlie the portion 42 of the connector, as shownin the draw ing, the bolt 58 may be screwed through the aperture 56until end 60 of bolt 58 engages the outer end of connector portion 42.It will be clear that as the bolt 58 is tightened, the section or tongue22 of anode arm 16 will be firmly engaged on its outer face by the face46 of connector portion 42. At the same time, the opposite and innerface of section or tongue 22 will be firmly engaged by the hook portions54 of yoke arms 52a and 52b. Therefore, the anode arm 16 will besecurely engaged with the connector device, and electric current mayreadily pass between the anode and the connector.

A lock nut 62 may be provided to maintain the yoke 52 and connectorportion 42 in clamped relationship.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that by the present inventionthere is provided a new and improved anode connector which may bemanipulated by the outside of the electroplating tank to firmly engageand provide excellent electrical contact with an electroplating anodelocated within the tank. By the invention, all of the adjustable partsare located outside the tank and remote from points of possible hightemperatures with the result that the adjustable parts will not becomecorroded or otherwise caused to lock.

The foregoing detailed description has been given only for purposes ofillustration and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Onthe contrary, the scope of the invention is to be determined from theappended claims.

We claim:

1. An electrical connector device for use with an electroplating anodepositioned within an electroplating tank, the anode being ofa typehaving a flanged vertical section for connection to the connectordevice, the connector device comprising an elongated member having afirst end for abutting a first face of the anode vertical section and asecond end adapted to extend through a slot in the side of theelectroplating tank in which the anode is positioned, an arm extendingfrom the second end of the elongated member for receiving a flexibleelectrical conductor, a yoke element for overying the elongated member,the yoke element having parallel side arms each provided with a hookportion for engaging a second face of the vertical anode sectionopposite the first section face, the yoke element being further providedwith a cross-arm, means comprising screw threaded means arranged to actbetween the cross-arm of the yoke element and the second end of theelongated member for tending to move the said cross-arm and second endof the elongated member apart, the arrangement being such that operationof the screw thread means will firmly clamp the anode vertical sectionbetween the first end of the elongated member and the hook portions ofthe parallel yoke arms.

2. A device as in claim 7 in which the elongated member includes anauxiliary retaining member for hooking to the anode to retain the firstend of the elongated member adjacent the said first face of the anodevertical section when the screw thread means is not drawn up to providesaid clamping action.

3. An electrical connector device for use with an electroplating anodepositioned within an electroplating tank and being provided with avertically extending tongue for engagement by the connector device, theconnector device comprising an elongated member having a first end forabutting a first face of the anode vertical tongue and a second endadapted to extend through a slot in the side of the electroplating tankin which the anode is positioned, means on the second end of theelongated member for receiving a flexible electrical conductor, a yokeelement for overlying the elongated member, the yoke element havingparallel side arms each provided with a hook portion for engaging asecond face of the vertical anode tongue opposite the first tongue face,the yoke element being further provided with a cross-arm, meanscomprising screw threadedmeans arranged to act between the cross-arm ofthe yoke element and the second end of the elongated member for tendingto move said yoke element and elongated member with respect to eachother, the arrangement being such that operation of the screw threadmeans will firmly clamp the anode tongue between the first end of theelongated member and the hook portions of the parallel yoke arms.

4. A device as in claim 3 in which the elongated member includes anauxiliary retaining member for hooking to the anode tongue to retain thefirst end of the elongated member adjacent the said first face of theanode tongue when the screw thread means is not drawn up to provide saidclamping action.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS707,776 Heroult Aug. 26, 1902 745,412 Blackman Dec. 1, 1903 1,032,723Young July 16, 1912 1,091,185 Boissier Mar. 24, 1914 1,720,030Bodendieck et a1 July 9, 1929 1,795,627 Weritz Mar. 10, 1931 1,874,759Kirkaldy Aug. 30, 1932 1,965,712 Schmidt July 10, 1934 2,287,762 RogotfJune 23, 1942 2,507,417 Noyes May 9, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 591,574 GreatBritain Aug. 21, 1947

